Associated PressMultiple AuthorsFeb 7, 2026, 07:15 AM ET
BORMIO, Italy — Swiss racer Franjo von Allmen captured the Olympic downhill Saturday to win the first gold medal at the Milan Cortina Games.
On a picture-perfect day in Bormio, von Allmen powered through the challenging Stelvio course in 1 minute, 51.61 seconds. His time was good enough to withstand the charge of Italy’s Giovanni Franzoni, who finished with the silver medal. Franzoni’s teammate, the 36-year-old Dominik Paris, had a fast run to take bronze and knock Marco Odermatt of Switzerland off the podium.
Von Allmen keeps the Olympic downhill title in the Swiss family. Beat Feuz won the event at 2022 Beijing Games before retiring.
Von Allmen, 24, sometimes flies under the radar of Odermatt, who’s won four straight overall World Cup titles. They’re fast friends and friendly rivals. They share course information but hold a little back, too. Turns out, Von Allmen had the better inside track on the demanding hill.
It’s been quite a run for Von Allmen, who won the downhill at the world championships in Austria last winter.
The stands were packed with flag-waving fans. Some of the biggest cheers were reserved for Franzoni and then, the next racer to go, Paris.
It was Paris’ first Olympic medal in his fifth Winter Games. He now becomes a bronze medalist in addition to being the vocalist of a heavy metal band called Rise of Voltage.
The 27th racer to take the course, Kyle Negomir found a fast line and vaulted into 10th place for the top American finish.